Pierre died on Tuesday 29 December 1908 by hanging himself.
The following day an inquest was held into his death and this was reported in a number of local newspapers including the
Camberwell Gazette / Peckham & Dulwich Advertiser, the South London Observer / Camberwell and Peckham Times,
The Dulwich, Peckham & Camberwell Post & the Herne Hill News.
The following transcript has been taken directly from the report printed in the
Camberwell Gazette / Peckham and Dulwich Advertiser dated Friday January 1st 1909.
Note: that his middle name has been mis-quoted in these newspapers as Edwin instead of Edward.
On Wednesday evening Mr G.P. Wyatt, Coroner, held an inquest at Camberwell on the body of Pierre Edwin Calkin,
aged 53 years, a musician, lately residing at 14, Nunhead Crescent, Peckham-rye.
Eliza Jane Calkin, the widow, said that for the last month the deceased had been engaged in arranging the band parts for
the Drury Lane pantomime. He had been working very hard, and it appeared to worry him very much. He had lately been very
depressed in spirits. On Sunday night he said "I am tired of this, and shall do for the lot of you."
Coroner: Has he been drinking to excess of late?
Sidney Herbert Brown, who lodged in the same house, stated that he was called by last witness and found the deceased hanging
as described.
Dr E.Roberts, of 71 Peckham-rye, stated that he was called to see the deceased on Monday afternoon, and was told he had
taken a bottle of chlorodyne. Deceased, who was in bed, denied it, and said he had told his wife that he had done so to
frighten her. Witness examined him, but found no trace of poisoning. Witness was again fetched on Tuesday morning, and
pronounced life extinct. There was a mark round the neck caused by the cord. Death was due to asphyxia, following
strangulation.
The Jury returned a verdict of suicide whilst mentally deranged.
Witness: Yes; he has been taking too much, no doubt. Last Sunday he drank a bottle of Chlorodyne.
(* see below)
Coroner: The whole of a bottle?
Witness: Yes.
Coroner: Was he in the habit of taking chlorodyne?
Witness: Yes, for insomnia.
Coroner: Did the bottle of chlorodyne affect him?
Witness: He vomitted afterwards. He had eaten nothing for a week. During Monday he remained in bed, and all he had was half
a pint of ale. At half-past six o'clock the following morning he got up and asked witness for some chlorodyne.
She told him she had none, and that it was too early to procure any, and he went downstairs. She fell off to sleep, and upon
waking at half-past eight o'clock, found he had not returned to bed. She went downstairs and lit the gas stove. She then
went into the back yard, and discovered him hanging to a beam. She called a lodger, who ran for assistance, and the deceased
was eventually cut down.
Coroner: But did it not strike you the best thing to do was to have cut him down at once?
Witness: I was so nervous.
Coroner: So you thought it safe to leave him where he was?
Coroner: You ran for assistance?
Witness: Yes.
Coroner: Were his feet touching the ground?
Witness: Very nearly, if not quite.
Coroner: How could he have reached the beam?
Witness: A chair stood about a yard away, upon which, no doubt, he stood to fix the rope.
Coroner: Have you ever seen the deceased worse for drink?
Witness: No.
Coroner: Did he do his writing at home?
Witness: I believe he did part at the theatre and part at home.
Chlo´ro`dyne
(Obviously this was in the days when you could buy bottled opium over the counter !!)
n. 1. (Med.) A patent anodyne medicine, containing opium, chloroform, Indian hemp, etc.
